Blood Of Fire (The Blood Burden Series) (31 page)

A dark laugh echoed around Nicole.  She
turned her back on the tree and stood preparing to defend the gateway at all
cost.  She had somehow opened a rift that wouldn't close but she wasn't going
to stand by and let her mistake be the end of the Fae.  "You're such a
brave warrior," crooned Loch.  "Now step aside and let destiny take
its course."

A tingle in Nicole's mind caused her to
step to the side.  The tides were changing….good or bad she didn't know…but it
was now.  "You forget, I'm also a brave fairy."  She swept her hand
around her head and twisted in a complete circle sending a gust of wind out
from her in all directions.  Warriors tumbled to the ground but a few remained
covering their eyes from the sand and leaves that pelted them but that was all
Nicole needed.  The gateway ripped to full size and blurs of fae and warriors
came pouring out.

Chaos consumed the area in seconds.  The
stream from the gateway seemed endless but no one hesitated to jump right in. 
Swords clinked together, bodies rolled and tumbled, and the night sky lit up
with balls of fire.  Just as Nicole lunged forward a strong arm caught her
around the waist, "You're safe?"  Nicole spun in Luke's hold slinging
her arms around his neck and not wasting a second to press her lips against his
until she pulled away breathless.  "I'll take that as a yes.  Come on. 
I've got to get you out of here."

"Not a chance.  I'm fighting.  Not
all of Loch's warriors are against us."

"That's good to hear," Slade
had slipped up behind Nicole.  She smile widely and hugged him tightly. 
"I'm so glad you're both alright."

"What?  No kiss for me?" he
teased.

Nicole rolled her eyes, "Come on,
we've got a war to stop."

Nicole darted out from under the willow
and across the small stream temporally bolstered by the fact that she had
stopped Loch from crossing into the fae realm.  About a hundred yards out Loch
was surrounded by warriors.  They were creating a shield around him giving him
room to retreat back toward the road as fire rained down on them from all
directions.  All attention was on him because, like her, everyone knew he was
the one to take out.  You chop off the head of the snake then the body lies
there confused and rolling in circles until all life is gone.  She locked eyes
with him for only a moment but she could see the smile on his face.  He was up
to something
—
something big.

Nicole then remembered the army of
troops that he had lagging well behind them.  She whipped her powers out
farther but it was too late.  They were pouring out of the woods behind her. 
"Protect the gateway," she commanded.  Instantly the rebel warriors
joined with the warriors and fae from the kingdom and charged the fast moving
army.  "Shala, Kade, Rain, stay in front of that door."

The night sky was lit up by all the
fires burning as the two sides collided.  Wave after wave of Loch's warriors
kept flowing into the area but they weren't getting close to the gateway. 
Nicole turned her cold eyes back onto Loch who was watching her closely as she
quickly closed the distance between them, "Seems you made a few friends
while you were at my home but it doesn't matter.  They will fall and so will
you."  His whole body was instantly covered in flames.  The warriors that
surrounded him stumbled away from the scorching heat.  The waves of power and
flame rolled around him like the incoming tides of a stormy ocean.  "And
to think, you've sacrificed your father, your best friend and that whole
pathetic country town that raised you all so you could pretend to be a
hero."  His voice roared with the lick of the flames, crackling and
popping as it ate away her confidence.

"You have to survive for that to
happen and I'm not going to let that happen."  A scream turned her head
just in time to see Brien driving a sword into the stomach of Shala.  He yanked
the blade from her in one smooth motion letting her fall to the ground at his
feet.  "Luke, stop him."  Nicole commanded but before anyone could
move a wave of power slung them through the air.  Nicole slammed into the
willow.  The limbs of the tree were split by her body causing the tips of the
broken stems to bleed blue magic.  When her eyes cleared from the impact she
crawled to Shala who was gasping for air.  "Will your body heal
this?"  Shala nodded.  Her brow was covered in sweat as the pain riddled
her body.  Nicole knew she had to move, to get back on her feet, but she
couldn't leave Shala like this.  She was an easy target while she tried to
heal.  "Hold still." Nicole placed her hand over the wound.  The
white flame she had used only once before poured from her fingertips covering
the crimson stained area.  Nicole could feel her own energy leaking out of her
and into Shala as it healed.

"Stop it," Shala shouted
slinging Nicole's hand away.  "You have to fight.  Don't use all your
energy on me."  She pushed herself up against the tree keeping a tight
hold on her stomach, "I will heal.  Now go end this."

Nicole jumped to her feet then gave
Shala a quick nod.  She couldn't help but see Sage's face staring back at her
from the strong woman in front of her.  Turning on her heels she darted from
under the tree.  She spotted Luke battling with Scarface.  Each read the others
move before blood could be drawn but everywhere else there were the casualties
of war.  Bodies were being trampled, wounded were looking for a safe place to
hide and blood painted everything.  The rocks, the ground, the dead leaves
—
all dripped
crimson as the battle raged on.

"No," Nicole gasped.  This is
what she wanted to stop.  The death, the hate, and the fear all poured out as
everyone fought to survive.  With each slash of silver a new trail of red
appeared causing Nicole's heart to pound harder.  With each familiar face she
found lying on the ground her body became numb with anger…no, not anger
—
hate for Loch.

A guttural roar from Nicole's left spun
her just as Scarface swung his sword down catching the sleeve of Nicole's black
shirt leaving a long cut in her skin.  She gave a quick glance past him to see
Luke struggling to fight off three men but that's all she had time for before
Brien swung again.  Nicole darted to the side and slung a ball of fire at his
face.  He blocked it with the blade, "You and I have a score to
settle."

Nicole spun around sending a gust of
wind toward him.  He staggered backwards but regained his footing.  "I
have bigger fish to fry so you'll have to take a number."  Nicole aimed
for his chest and fired.  A large fire ball hit him in the face before Nicole's
hit its target.  Luke gave her a quick wink then ran back into the fighting. 
Just as he reached his first target he was lifted from the ground like he was
being grabbed by an invisible hand and slung through the air.  His body cut
through a large pine tree then he fell with a lifeless thump to the ground.

Running with all her might she crossed
the distance to Luke.  She dropped to her knees beside him but before she could
touch his sweat covered skin she was lifted into the air and slammed to the
ground at Loch's feet.  All the breath was knocked from her lungs but instead
of collapsing she stood up facing the roaring inferno that was Loch.  "You
have failed," his voiced rumbled over the roar of the war.  Nicole could
feel the lights disappearing in her mind as warriors crossed the gateway into
the fae realm.

Closing her eyes she shut everything
else out.  There was no war, no lifeless bodies littering the ground or screams
of pain echoing in the night sky.  In her mind there was only Loch.  She could
see him inside her head.  He was the brightest of all the lights.  He pulsed in
red and blue as his power grew into something she had never felt before. 
Nicole took a deep breath refilling her battered lungs then began to pull her
power to the surface of her body.  This war would end here.  Failing was not an
option.  Sage died to bring about change and she would have it.

Just as she had reached her body's limit
she noticed the life around her offering strength too so she pulled from
everywhere.  Earth, water and even the great willow filled her soul with a
power so deep she thought she might burst.  When she opened her eyes the world
was bathed in indigo flames.  The hottest of all fires was hers to command as
it danced across her skin from the soles of her feet to the tips of her hair. 
Her gaze locked with Lochs and she smirked. "Are you sure you want to play
this game?"

His face twisted with hate as he lunged
forward sending a red flame like the breath of a mighty dragon down on her. 
Nicole pressed forward sending blue flame into his with a thunderous crash. 
The world around them glowed bright as everything burned.  With each push her
fire gained a little more strength and shoved Loch's flame back but it also
became hotter.  The trees turned orange with embers and the rocks between them
became lava as the battle raged on. 
Nicole,
it was Slade inside her
head, f
ighting fire with fire is only going to burn everyone.  You have to
be smarter.

I'm way ahead of you.  Watch for my
signal then do what you do best."

Nicole trained her eyes on a large Elm
tree behind Loch.  It was already damaged and burning so she just had to wait
until the right moment.  Suddenly Loch slung a massive wave of power out from
him knocking Nicole off her feet.  Her head slammed into a rock leaving her
dazed and stunned.  She couldn't pull herself together before the blue flame
she held slipped out of her grasp leaving her panting powerless on the ground. 
She reached up swiping at the blood that dripped down into her eye.  Her hand
blurred as she tried to gauge the amount of blood on her fingers.

Loch stood towering over her laughing
darkly.  "Game over, princess."  He held his hand out inches away
from her face and she watched it fill with a red orb.  The orb would take her
life if she couldn't pull herself together.

"Not yet."  She slung wind
like a saw blade but Loch dodged out of its way with ease.  He smiled at her
failed attempt to save her own life.  "Now," Nicole shouted to Slade
as she sent another gust of wind into Loch hitting him hard and flinging him
onto his back.  He lay there just long enough to realize two things:  his
powers were gone and so was his life.  The great flaming Elm crashed onto his
powerless body with a sickening crunch.  The shot Loch had thought was meant
for him was actually the final cut that sent the tree falling.

The fighting stopped.  Both warrior and
fae stood confused.  "Game over." Nicole whispered as she stood. 
"Enough of this grudge between you.  Too many friends have lost their
lives because of this pointless hate.  My body bleeds fae and warrior blood
because I am both.  I cannot be divided or be loyal to only one race." 
She held her hands wide as she took in all the battered faces that surrounded
her, "I am proud of my heritage and would never want to be only one
because they are both great races.  Today is your chance to have the life you
really want
—
to be united
again but this time as equals.  I will take the crown and we will share the
kingdom once more."

Silent stares met her.  Nicole was
preparing herself for the fighting to start again.  The atmosphere was tense
and heated as glances were exchanged but then Shala stepped forward tossing her
sword to the ground with a loud clang.  "About damn time we had a real
leader."  The crowd erupted with cheers as everyone tossed their weapons
to the ground.  Shevea, the warrior who commanded water during her training at
the Fae Kingdom, pulled a large, blue orb from the stream and sent it high up
in the air to rain down on the burning embers that remained from the battle.

Strong arms pulled Nicole tight,
"You did it, love."  Slade hugged her then kissed her cheek.  She
smiled up at him then her face turned somber.  "Where's Luke?"  She
couldn't feel him.  His light was gone from her mind.  There was only an empty
hole where he was moments ago.  Pushing past Slade she ran to the spot where
she a left him.  Nothing.  No sign of him at all.  He was gone.